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Post by ctdahle on Mar 12, 2006 20:31:46 GMT -7
With the prodding of my three year old, "Fix airplane daddy!", I've been spending about 30 minutes a night refurbishing my old Kadet.
Last time out it had a mishap with a fence post, which I patched up with duct tape, but it wasn't pretty. I hung the plane on the rack, intending to do real repairs right away, but it's been gathering dust for 2-1/2 years.
Anyway, we gave it a long over due "annual", stripped off the damaged areas of covering, cut out and installed new wing tip plates, dutched in a couple of sections of broken turbulator spar, recovered the bottom of the stabilizer, cycled the batteries, checked every nut and screw, tested the glow plug, ran a range test, and have it looking nearly as good as new.
Naturally, completion of the repairs coincided with the arrival of the first and only real snow storm we've had all year.
But hope springs eternal. We pulled out the flight box, scrubbed it down and gave it a fresh coat of paint. We charged up the starter battery and plug ignitor, tracked down all of the scattered flight box tools, restocked the spare parts box, cleaned and refilled the fuel bottle, and rounded up a handful of spare props.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, we'll see if the motor will start, and with a bit of luck, maybe we'll head out to the field and see if I can remember how to fly a real model airplane.
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Post by Junior on Mar 12, 2006 23:48:41 GMT -7
CT...
You are a true inspiration....
I too have a model that has been on the sideline for the past 2+years... It is a 4*40, but the difference is that mine was never completed. It is in the covering stage and has been collecting small bits of damage with every move.
I am now cleaning up the garage, so that I can repair all the small bits of accumulated damage, and then to see if I can relearn how to fly....
Good on ya
Junior
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Post by Grug - American Neanderthal on Mar 13, 2006 18:05:56 GMT -7
Way to go Chris, I have one thats been hanging since a hayfeeder moved to snatch it from mid airover 3 years ago now. I have been slowly trying to clear the bench off so I can repair it, and I have set up a quick charge inside to catch the odd nice day, but I bet you will get air time before me.  |
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Post by ctdahle on Mar 14, 2006 8:11:08 GMT -7
Thank you for the encouragement Gentlemen. We are all home for spring break so we were hopeful but 17 degrees this morning and wind gusting to 45 MPH. Just a bit to rough for flying I think.
With the Kadet all ship-shape, we turned to the Four Star on Sunday afternoon.
People complain that Four Stars are too floaty on landing, but up here at 8000 feet, when they stall, they drop like a rock. Mine always seems to come down tail first but anyway, it had the typical cracked fuselage aft of the wing. We had field bandaged it too with duct tape.
Sunday we pulled the radio gear and stripped off the covering around the damage.
I mixed up a batch of thinned out epoxy and flowed it in and around all of the cracks, then bandaged it up with a layer 3/4 oz fiberglass over the cracks, and all around the landing gear block. When this cured out, I filled the weave with a batch of thinned epoxy and microbaloons with just a drop of blue food coloring so I could see where I had been with the filler.
Yesterday we attended to the wing. I've been flying this four star since before our field was paved and the underside of the wing looked like it had been used for skeet practice, especially the rib bays above the wheels. The rocks had just peppered the underside and I had ironed on lots of little ovals of MonoKote to repair. However there was another problem, the wing was full of rocks. Turn the wing from end to end and it sounds like one of those rainsticks as the rocks move around inside.
So we cut open the wing and picked out the rocks. I think we got them all. Then we began the process of patching the covering. I was filled with a burst of excess creativity when I covered this one the first time. I had done the bottom of the wing in a checkerboard pattern. It wasn't so hard to do, but it was sure a pain to patch because when you try to shrink the new panel, it tends to pull loose the adjacent panel.
Then we sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded the fuselage. Today we will recover if we get motivated.
And I hear little feet padding this way now.
Later,
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Post by jetmex on Mar 14, 2006 15:32:59 GMT -7
Good on yer, mate!! ;D
I resurrected a wrecked Godlberg Cub a little earlier in the year and have flown it several times since then. Stuck an old K&B 61 in it, just like the plans, and it flies a lot better than my old one with the .46. The guy who gave it to me dropped off a set of floats for it a few weeks ago, just need to find the time to finish them and find a place to fly from.
It was good to get back to the field. Even had to buy a fresh gallon of fuel!!
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Post by ctdahle on Mar 14, 2006 18:50:49 GMT -7
Glad I am not the only one who is at least trying to get some flight time.
This afternoon it warmed up to 45 or so and we had a nice calm. So we decided to see if the motor would run. We set up in the driveway and fueled up and the motor started on the first flip. We taxied around a bit in the driveway and then decided what the heck. I shut down and loaded the works in to the back of the truck and headed up to the airport.
At the field we unloaded and got all set up, topped off the tank and did a range test. Then it was time to start up. One loud burst, then nothing. Cranked with the starter, nothing. Choked it, primed it, nothing, not even a sputter. One more bump with the starter and I slipped off the spinner nut and tore one of the cheeks right off the nose. Checked the plug. Dead. There had been enough juice in the ignitor battery for one start and that was it. Apparently it needs a new cell.
Drained the tank and headed home.
So. Home again, patched up the nose, found a fresh cell for the ignitor, waited for the epoxy to set, then off to the field again. Set up to fuel, hit the switch and heard the familiar whine of the pump...for about ten seconds, then a snap and a high pitched whine and no fuel coming out...apparently there is some sort of coupling inside the pump that failed. (Darn thing, Sonic Tronics Mark V pump is only 19 years old, I don't understand why it would quit)
Undaunted, I put my lips to the vent hose on the fuel bottle and topped off the tank, plugged in the starter, set the throttle to idle....set the throttle to idle...why isn't the throttle barrel closing? Apparently I sheared off the throttle arm when I hit the nose with the starter.
So NOW I'm home making a new throttle arm.
Ain't model airplanes FUN!
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Post by Grug - American Neanderthal on Mar 15, 2006 22:16:37 GMT -7
Hey, ay least you got to taste glow fuel, it aint all bad.  Once again we had a beuatiful day here this morning, but since a storm is coming in, I spent on the tractor, in the truck and in the shop trying ot get some welding done. I did finish in time for the wind to start blowing.  But I see the days are getting longer, I might be able to work in some time to cuss my planes too before long. |
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Post by ctdahle on Mar 16, 2006 9:35:59 GMT -7
More cussing here too.
Three year old jumping on my bed Wednesday morning at 6:00. Fly Airplane Fly Airplane Fly Airplane!
Found an old engine that had a throttle arm that would fit. Put that on, tweaked a few more items, and watched the anemometer rise, gusting 40-50 knots.
Today is supposed to be better.
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Post by jetmex on Mar 16, 2006 11:16:06 GMT -7
50mph? Is that all? Time to break out some slope gliders!! ;D ;D
It's been pretty windy out here also, but not quite that bad.
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Post by ctdahle on Mar 16, 2006 12:10:03 GMT -7
Yeah Jaime, too bad the slope faces the wrong direction.
At ten this morning our window of opportunity opened wide, just a breath of air. My anemometer was reading 1-3 knots. We loaded up and raced to the airport. Everything worked on the first try.
Motor started right up. Needle setting was perfect. Placed the plane on the taxiway and held on the center stripe, advanced the throttle, had a beautiful straight run, and up she went. needed a few trim changes but everything worked well. Shot a few practice approaches and then made a nice smooth landing, not even a bounce.
Taxied back to the flightline, gave it a once over and up again. Short flight, wind picking up a bit, figured I'd better get it back down again before the wind got serious. Needed about 30 degrees of crab to line it up over the runway. Touched down on the leeward side, not the prettiest landing ever, but down in one piece, engine still running. Taxied back to the pits, shut down and raced a dust devil to the truck.
Tried to explain the problem of wind to a very upset three year old. Mollified him by letting him drive most of the way home.
Cheers,
Chris
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